ABSTRACT
During a stroll along the Bosphorus, Nev‘ī Efendi shared with his son ‘Aṭā’ī his memories of the garden of a deceased friend in Ortaköy, which used to be famous for its literary gatherings. Its owner Fuzayl Efendi (d. 1583 or 1584), as the father recalled, was a devoted patron of literature and wanted to be remembered as such. He presented writing desks crafted by his own hand to his friends as memorabilia. Then, he died suddenly one day in this garden, at a literary gathering under his great tree. His garden was destroyed shortly after his death, but neither the garden nor Fuzayl Efendi were forgotten. Nev‘ī Efendi and ‘Aṭā’ī cherished their memory. The father told the son their story and the son ensured its remembrance by recording it in writing.1
